Omega: The Forgotten War
by Deadi1025
Summary: Though Lelouch had won the world and rules it with an iron fist, the war was far from over. Enter Omega. Join him and his band of exiles and outcasts against the Holy Britannian Empire for one more campaign. One more war. One last act of defiance that would inspire many and shake the foundations of the new world through either victory or death. Vengeance will come.
1. Prologue

" _This is Milly Ashford and this is what's making news. Not far from where I am standing ladies and gentlemen are the forces of the two Britannian Royals just above the Sakuradite mining facility of Mt. Fuji. Here we-"_

(Static)

"— _istory will remember this day as the day the world held its breath to what future would hold the world. God help us if the he wins. Believe me Jaime, I have never. I mean I have never seen a battle of this grandure before my time. I mean-"-"_

(Static)

"-ere right now in the outskirts of the battlefield that is still taking place. Explosions in the distance Keep filming! Ehem. Excuse me, the battle is becoming hectic with no side giving ground. It's gonna be a close one ladies and gentlemen-"

"Incoming!"

"Oh my Go—"

 **TRANSMISSION LOST**

(Static)

"—I have never seen the skies so dark and the ground so torn. This has to be the largest armored battle in history-"

(Static)

(Static)

(Static)

" _To the whole world, I am Emperor of the Holy Empire of Britannia, Lelouch Vi Britania."_

(Static)

" _Schneizel has kneeled before me. Now, Damocles and FLEIA are both under my control. The Black Knights do not possess the power to fight against me anymore. Howe-"_

(Static)

"— _ver, if they still insist on rebelling. I shall have yu know the power of FLEIA. There are no longer any obstacles to my hegemony. Today, as of this moment, the world is in my hands."_

" _Lelouch Vi Britannia commands you. Obey me, World!"_

" _ALL HAIL, LELOUCH! ALL HAIL, LELOUCH!"_

The television screen snapped shut and turned black. In front of it was a long table occupied by a number of people in grey military uniforms. Though they all were silent and pondering on this outcome, the reactions on their faces were visible and varied. They were concerned by the sudden turn of events, but none of them showed a hint of despair.

"So." One of the officers, General Gottfried said. "With all this in mind, what now? What does this mean?"

"The obvious of course, Herr Gottfried." Chancellor Richelieu replied while stroking on his beard. "This family squabble had us a power hungry mad Emperor reigning supreme while the Prodigal Prince was left in the dust. It has also cost us a valuable sakuradite mine"

"What of it?" Governor Rianofski stated. "We procure more of that here than anywhere else. It is no great loss."

"I say that this is beneficial for us." General Raus called out. "Their greed and power hungry natures knows no bounds and had cost them all their strengths. It has made our tasks a lot easier. I say we strike now while they lick their wounds clean. They are ripe for the taking."

The other leaders cheered and nodded their approval. Others called out that they march out to their ships immediately and begin all operations for the attack.

"Comrades, let us not forget of the Damocles. It is still operational." Chairman Oskar Tesla said amidst the noise. "One hasty move we make, then all that we have worked hard for all these years would have been caput. So what if we conquer Paris? Or Berlin? Or California? Or Iraq? We would still be at the mercy of that weapon and all our work would count to nothing more than dust. That is, before the shear number of Britannians overruns us. I for one do not want my life to be wasted so cheap."

"So you expect us to just cower in fear then, Herr Tesla? While our enemies marshal their forces in a dictatorship?" General Gottfried asked. "Has the presence of a weapon beyond your understanding made you a coward?"

"Not at all Karl." Tesla said indifferently. "All that I am saying is that we are in no position of making any such attacks now. This victory of theirs has united the world. We will not be facing the Britannians alone."

"Following on that then." General Gottfried said. "What would our next move be? Herr Tesla, do we have any countermeasures against the FLEIJA's?"

"Unless we get a piece of that missile or get the girl who made it there's nothing we can do." Chairman Tesla sighed. "I have some ideas but one is as outrageous as the next. So I am all ears."

"Another question remains, my comrades" Marshal Venner said. "Is that, can the Britannians be defeated now? Personally, I care not if they have that damned weapon Damocles or the vastness of the army. All I ask is that are our soldiers prepared for the coming task at hand."

"You speak of suicide, Herr Venner." Chairman Tesla dryly commented. "Last stands sound good in paper but does little in reality. ."

Everyone expected the Marshall to take insult to the frankness of the Chairman but to their surprise, the Marshal simply leaned back in his chair. The only words that came out from his lips were simple yet ominous,

"Good."

"True." General Raus added. "Our weapons are as advanced and produced in numbers on par the greatest superpowers and possibly even more. Testing were also a success and are combat ready through our _training regimens._ "

"I have something in mind," All the leaders' attention turned to Commodore Heinkel von Strauss. "The Damocles is one thing, the Army they have at hand is another. Despite our superiority in technology and surprise, wherever we strike will expose us. We only have one shot if we are to prevail."

She paused to take a sip from her glass.

"So I say we go now cut off the head of the dragon itself. We attack Japan where this little pup is sleeping." She said with a malicious grin. "Then all our problems will solve itself. Ready for us to take the reaping."

All the officers on the table spoke at once and argued at the audacity of the plan. Each gave out their opinions and had cut the council to several factions. Some agreed to the plan and strike at once, others opted to wait, some criticized how unrealistic it was and the flaws of the plan, while others wanted to gather more resources and allies to increase their chances of victory. It quickly escalated into a heated debate.

"And what say you about all this?" Inquisitor Beria raised her voice and turned to the man next to her. "Kommandant?"

The officers in the room fell silent. Their arguments and retorts put on hold. Their tongues kept behind their teeth. They too turned their eyes to the man seated on the head of the table. A man who stayed in the shadows had one hand rested his chin as though deep in thought. One would have thought that he was sleeping throughout the meeting but his other hand tapped on a mask that was placed on the table. His mind seemed to be elsewhere.

Apart from sleeping, this was the only other time their leader was ever so serene. He has a history of being brash and unpredictable. The officers in the table knew better than to disturb him at this state. And so he remained behind a shroud of shadows and left everyone in perpetual silence. A flicker of hope burned in their hearts as they waited for their leader to speak. To share to them his mind in what they are to do in the face of overwhelming odds.

The fingers abruptly stopped tapping. The man at the end of the table came to life and stood up. Everyone in the room held their breaths for what he had to say. Their leader had always been an unpredictable person. They all could never read what goes on inside his mind. But with the situation at hand, they were sure that what he would say was going to be important, and if ever relevant.

"The result of this battle a victory." The man said with a sly, sharp tone with a menacingly calm voice.

He reached for his mask and patted the dust off it before placing it on his face. A red Omega emblem lit up on its forehead. The Mask disoriented his voice, making it sound grizzled and more ominous.

"A victory for both the enemy and for us. This outcome is most favorable for us since it has defeated our greatest enemy, Schneizel el Britannia. The Scourge of the EU. He is the greater of two evils. I do believe that I share this sentiment as to the rest of the people in this table?"

All the officers nodded in agreement.

"As for this Emperor, this Lelouch vi Britannia." He continued. "He is nothing more than a child with the world as his chess game. Though I have no doubt that he will be a capable enemy. He has proven as much seeing as how far he had come to achieve within these few months. In fact, I do share these sentiments with him. From pauper, to prince, to a king."

"Regardless, he had made too many enemies on his path to legitimacy and his title is all but in name alone. His government is in shambles, his forces are in disarray and the people hate him en masse. They will rebel after a given spark. A spark that we alone and will set off."

"Kommandant, if I may speak." General Venner said. "But what of the Damocles? It is still a formidable weapon that is beyond our reach. As much as I would like to fight at your side as your Vanguard and give my life to you, mein Fuhrer, there would be none of us left in the aftermath. It would wipe us out at a glance."

"Not to mention the vastness of his army, sir." General Rauss said. "The resources they have at their disposal. As Commodore van Strauss had mentioned, we have but a small window. Even with our Blitz tactics, we'd be vulnerable.

"I agree, sir." Governor Rianofski added. "Sacrifices in war are necessary in war but this will be a slaughter sir. A massacre. How could we inspire a spark when the Britannians could quench us before we strike the match? The Damocles watches us over every sky, where can we strike that would be a victory for us and inspire the world in our cause?"

Omega waited for their questions to cease before making his say.

"I see many questions here, comrades. Reasonable, yes. But you have yet to see the bigger picture. Allow me, to oblige.

The Kommandant pressed a button on the remote and revealed the map of the world. The map was scribbled with X's and arrows in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Attack patterns, army bases and troop movements were scrawled all over the continents.

"As to where, comrades." Omega said. "We shall strike them all. We will attack everywhere. Total war."

The shock on the officers' faces was visible. They were stunned to comprehend the grand design of their Kommandant's plan. Therein lies the question of how long had Omega been planning this and if so, will it work? But they soon understood the wisdom behind the grand design.

"And do not worry about the Damocles or its FLEIJAs." Omega reassured. "They WILL not get in our way."

Before any of the officers could ask what he meant, Omega pressed another button and activated the cameras. Television screens all over the base and the city came to life. There it showed the denizens and soldiers the face of their leader, Omega. Fron there he spoke to his staff as he was speaking to his people.

"Comrades, it is time. Our time in the dark is over. Our proxy wars are over. Our shadow campaigns against our hated enemies, the Britannians, are over. Now is the time. Now is the time we reveal ourselves to the world. It is time for us all to be known. We do this now because the world needs us more than ever. And I know that they will welcome us with open arms and join us in this last rebellion."

"For freedom. For democracy. Against tyranny. And against the Britannians."

"My friends, the Damocles is but one ship with a vast army yet scattered. Its government, in tatters. And we, we are but one world with allies in every corner of the globe. People with the same will and the same dream as us. We shall strike as one and shake the world with our defiance that will be remembered for generations to come. Victory or Defeat, the outcome of this will immortalize us and inspire generations to come!"

"Now is the time. We shall show that Tyrant of an Emperor that there is still one piece left on the board, ready for one last fight. Our final stand for peace and liberty for all man. My friends, officers, comrades, exiles and revolutionaries, will you stand by me and face Oblivion together?"

The officers all stood up in unison and with their hands raised, they proudly cheered.

"HEIL OMEGA! HEIL KOMMANDANT! HEIL MEIN FUHRER!"

From outside the War Room, hundreds and thousands of soldiers watched from the screens their Kommandant's speech. They too raised their hands and weapons in salute and cheered. Their voices echoed throughout their city in merriment.

" _HEIL OMEGA! HEIL OMEGA! HEIL OMEGA! DEATH TO BRITANNIA! TO VICTORY!"_


	2. Change in Plans

2 months later.

In an abandoned church near an unknown town, a lone woman kneeled in front of the colored glass altar. She had long lime green hair and a beautiful white face with a crimson symbol on her forehead. Her hands were clasped together and spoke a silent prayer to a god all had forgotten over the years.

The sun bathed her in light yet she could not feel its warmth. The wind blew past into the temple yet she could not refresh herself from its breeze. Not a single beat sounded in her heart. Not a drop from her blood though she could still bleed. She could not feel much after living for over a hundred years and not aging a single day.

But today was different. Today was the day that history and the world would be renewed. All the years of war and suffering was about to finally come to an end. Alas, peace will come. Peace for both the world and for herself.

While she knelt down, she whispered in prayer. She prayed that all that they have planned, all that they have sacrificed, all would come to fruition. She prayed for forgiveness to the god she sought to destroy not long back. Most of all, she prayed that Lelouch would finally find peace in himself and find it in his heart to forgive her for the path she had set for him.

Before she could finish it off with an Amen, a heavy feeling tightened in her chest. Something suddenly caused her spine to tingle. She felt the crimson symbol on her forehead light up. Her senses tingled. She understood what has happened and what was about to happen. Tears began trickling down from her cheeks.

Before she could do anything else, the ground beneath her feet began to shake. She lost her footing and fell to the ground. A loud rumbling echoed in the distance not far from where she was. The dust from the ancient stonewalls of the church poured out and the weakened roof began to crumble. Debris fell and cluttered around her.

"No." She wept as she looked upon the sky.

XXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, in the Royal Imperial Colony of Japan

Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia sat proudly on top of his throne. He was clothed in bright white with the Britannian Crown on top of his brow and the Royal Scepter at hand. Medals, jeweled rings and symbols of merit were decorated on him. He sits from on top of a tall white float with the Britannian Banner on its front for all to see as it moved along the city streets.

A dozen Elite Vincent Ward Knightmares and a fleet of armored tanks flanked him on his sides and followed from the rear. A thousand of his masked Royal Guard lined up at both wings of the road in uniform. Behind them were thousands of civilians. A hundred cameras captured every shot, showing to a billion people all over the world the ruler of the world; Emperor Lelouch in all is glory.

Another two floats moved in front of the procession. Each had 6 people garbed in white and chained to a post behind them. Paraded to the masses as the rebels from the previous war, the captured leaders and supporters in the battle of Mt. Fuji. A costly battle that had cost thousands of lives and destruction that had changed the very face of the world. It was a battle that had cemented Lelouch's power in the world as its supreme leader. The tyrant who united the world and ruled it with an iron fist.

Lelouch would show the world the fate of those who dared commit treason against his rule publicly. He would have his enemies, the leaders of the Black Knights, the representatives of the United Federation of Nations and the last 2 members of the Knights of the Round executed. No trial. No jury. No quarter. No mercy. None was to be spared for these traitors of the crown. Not even for Lelouch's own flesh and blood.

His own crippled younger sister Nunnally sat chained in front of Lelouch's float, wearing rags with red eyes and tears streaming from her eyes. His older half-brother Schneizel, his ultimate obstacle and leader of the previous war, stood exposed and in chains on top of an armored vehicle where Lelouch's personal bodyguard, Lord Jeremiah Gottwald stood guard. They were what were left of his family. The last of the Britannia family bloodline with the former being the one he loved most and he would coldly watch them die.

Britannians, Japanese and people all over the world alike watched him with fear and wary eyes. Though they bow down to at his presence, they curse at him under his breath. They cower when put under his gaze but the truth was there. He is the Autocrat. The monster. The Mad Emperor. Their disdain of him was obvious but dare not show it lest they be executed on the spot by his Royal Guard.

XXXXXXXXXX

From inside one of the buildings overlooking the procession ahead, a woman once known as the Second Princess Cornelia li Britannia, watched from behind the closed blinds. With her were a group of men and women she gathered from the various factions who fought against Lelouch with no prejudice whether they were Britannian, Chinese, Japanese or otherwise.

Under her wing, she had organized these rag tag group of rebels into an effective resistance faction. For months they fought a guerrilla war that liberated, destroyed and emboldened all the people they could against the tyranny of the Emperor. Time however was not on their side as of late as they were slowly losing ground and were fighting a losing war against him. But today all that changes and that starts with the liberation of the captured leaders. This was their last shot in making a change.

"Oh no." Villetta cried when she saw someone she knew on one of the pillars. "Oghi!"

Before she could run out the door, Cornelia grabbed her by the arm and forced her back.

"Going out now is exactly what he wants us to do." Cornelia hissed.

"But…" Villetta retorted.

"But no." Cornelia cut in. "We will stick to the plan. It's all about to begin in a few minutes. Now please. Be patient. We will free them soon."

"Lets just hope that those folks pay their end of the bargain." Her loyal knight, Guilford said. "I do not trust them, Milady."

"I know what you mean, Guilford." Cornelia replied. "But what choice do we have? They gave us their support, supplied us with weapons and share a common enemy. That is good enough for me."

"Pardon my concern, Milady." Guilford said. "But for all we know, all this could be a trap."

"It could be." Cornelia said uneasily. "Or it could be not. Yet they have given us their support and supplies so I have some reason to put my faith in them. Though…I agree that they have been keeping us in the dark. But now, what choice do we have now? We've come this far and we have to prevail today."

"Yes, your highness." Guilford replied.

"Look." Villetta pointed out at the window.

"What!" Cornelia said in disbelief. "Impossible."

XXXXXXXXXX

The resistance fighters in the building, the crowd watching outside and the rebels tied on top of the floats looked in shock and in awe to find a figure standing in front of the entire procession. In front of all the eyes looking in disbelief, in front of all the armed Knightmares, and in front of the piercing eyes of the young Emperor, was the hero of the people. Against the odds faced against him, the masked vigilante, Zero stood before them.

They looked in awe as Zero opened his cape and charged right at them. The Knightmares fired at him but the masked figure acrobatically dodged everything with unbelievable skill. Sword at hand, he hoped past the Knightmares and made his way towards the Emperor.

Lelouch quickly stood from his throne and looked at the masked figure. His heart beat furiously neither in fear nor despair but in angst. Nothing could prepare a man from meeting death openly. A small smile instead etched itself on his face. All his hard work, the sacrifices he had made, all the lives he had taken, and the act he had to pull to make the world hate him, all that had finally come to fruition. Alas, the world shall be destroyed and washed anew.

Lord Gottwald ordered the troops to stand aside and took it upon himself to face the terrorist. A blade came out of his arm and challenged Zero to a duel. Zero however dodged his strike and jumped over him, throwing Gottwald to the ground.

With a great leap, Zero had made it on to the Emperor's platform. His face was up close, face to face, to the entangled Princess Nunnally. One more jump and he has come face to face with Lelouch, his sword was at hand. Lelouch raised his gun at him but was quickly swept away by Zero. Given one more moment, he would have killed the Emperor and free the world.

But before he could finish the deed, the city's sirens suddenly began blaring. It stopped Zero on his tracks. It stunned Lelouch on the spot. He, Lelouch and everyone else in the city turned their gaze up to the sky.

Seven large rockets coursed in the air in no particular formation. Entrails of white smoke and a high-pitched screamed in its wake. The people began to panic and covered their ears amidst the noise. They soon changed course and made its way towards the city. AA guns from the city began shooting at them as they fell from the sky.

One rocket was hit and exploded in mid-air. But as soon as it did, the rest blew up in their own accord without getting hit. Flares shot out from the rockets. It scattered the Britannian's seeker missiles, setting them off prematurely. The rockets themselves then broke apart into smaller missiles that flew wildly in many directions. The AA guns and the seeker missiles shot down as many as they can but they could not match the rockets' sheer number. They wrecked havoc in the city when they came crashing down.

Though small, the impact each missile gave was catastrophic. One missile had the explosive force to level a building and powerful enough to send shockwaves that tore the ground beneath ones feet. It then finishes with a heavy wave of air that could send things flying about. One was bad enough; but imagine a hundred of them pounding the city to submission.

The barrage only lasted a minute and took another half that time for the ground to stop shaking. Smoke and debris dominated the streets. It didn't take long before the city fell into chaos. Buildings still crumbled, cars and other vehicles were flattened and wailed their sirens. The shaking ground and broken streets sent people groveling in the floor and rampaging in panic.

Civilians ran amok, stampeding each other to avoid the destruction. Children cried for their parents in the ruins. Some took advantage of the chaos. They looted, shot and ran wild. Soldiers vainly tried to keep order and control the situation.

XXXXXXXXX

Guilford steadily got himself up on his feet. The shock from the barrage made him lose his footing…and most of his motor skills. His entire body wouldn't stop shaking and his ears wouldn't stop ringing. He couldn't keep himself up on his feet for more than 5 seconds but seeing his Princess in danger, he gave it his all to make it to her.

"Milady!" Guilford cried after spotting her past the wreckage. He helped her up after pulling her out of the debris. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Guilford. I'm fine. What about the others?" Cornelia said. "Anyone hurt?" 

"We're fine here," Villetta coughed off some dust. "Apart from a few bruises, no one seems seriously injured. Team 2 and 3 just reported to be all right too. Was this supposed to be the plan? Why didn't they tell us more about it?"

"The only thing we got from them was the time of the attack and a message that we should keep a strong roof on our heads." Cornelia replied. "It seems that the trust issue we had with them was mutual. An attack this big requires a lot of secrecy to succeed. So I'll give them that excuse."

"What is the status of the hostages?" VIlletta asked one of the sentries. "Of Oghi?"

"Can't see much from the smoke ma'am." The sentry called. "But I think that they are still in there."

"And Zero?" Villetta asked.

"I dunno." Something made the sentry look out in the window again. He called out in alarm. "Milady! The Emperor is retreating! And he's taking the hostages with him!"

"Time to move, People!" Cornelia called. She called in on the radio and contacted the other teams. "This is Team 1 calling 2 and 3. Operations are a go. I repeat. Operations are a go! We're moving out."

Guilford took a rifle and passed it to Cornelia. She took it in kind and cocked it at the ready.

"Our priority here is the hostages." Cornelia addressed her troops. "Do not engage the Guards unless needed. Use the smoke as cover. Now let's move!"

Cornelia led the charge through the door and made it into the street. They were welcomed by a thick cloud of dust that made it hard for them to see no more than a foot in front of them. Sounds of crumbling debris, screaming and gunfire echoed in the distance.

Team 2 had done their work well. Rushing in with cars with anti-tank weapon add-ons, they succeeded in diverting the enemy tanks and Knightmares away from the center street. A few of Team 2's vehicles were destroyed but in turn, half a dozen tanks and a Knightmare lay dead and burning in the streets. Smoke filled the air and added to the encroaching dust clouds.

Cornelia had her men stick together in a single file line and used the smoke and the burnt out vehicles as cover. The formation kept them organized while they ran out in the open. It also helped avoid friendly fire while killing their enemies with ease. The dust blinded their enemies themselves, who were everywhere. It was a shame that the Knightmares did not share the same handicap.

"Cover!" Cornelia yelled when she saw one lock in on them from behind the smoke.

She quickly pulled the man in front of her with her to the side before the Knightmare fired at them. A few of her men failed to react in time and were cut in half by the barrage of lead. The others managed to hide behind cars and debris scattered on the road only to be pinned down by the Knightmare's gunfire. The Britannian soldiers soon joined in the fray and shot at them. Most likely coordinated by the officer inside the Knightmare.

"Return fire!" Villetta commanded. "Cover her Majesty's flank!"

Their guns might work against the Royal Guards but they were nothing against an armored Knightmare. You might as well shoot at a full-grown bear with a BB gun. They were trapped under the sights of a Knightmare and Cornelia could see that the Emperor and his forces were on the move to retreat.

"Robert! Stephen! Cain!" Cornelia called. She grabbed a grenade launcher from a trooper next to her. "Get to the hostages. We'll cover you. Go!"

She got out and fired a shot at the Knightmare and caused it to stumble. To her dismay, the missile didn't put it out of commission. It only damaged it. What's worse, another Knightmare entered the field. It took out a group not far from where her group was and it turned its sights on her.

"Team 3! Engage!" Cornelia called into her radio. "NOW!"

Something crashed into the two Britannian Knightmares and crushed them under their heels. In their place were 3 of the rebel's own Knightmares Codename: Hyperion, given to them by their allies and benefactors. These were a new model, different from the ones made by the Britannians.

As compared to the Knightmare Vincent Wards, the Hyperion was of simpler design made for efficiency and not for style. They had a more rounded yet rough design with hardly any spikes or decorations. The only ones sticking out of them were the 4 cannons on its shoulders, the guns on its arms and the missile pods on its sides. It was a fearsome weapon in battle, made even fiercer by its skilled pilots.

"Made it just in time." Zhou Xianglin said through the radio. "We'll take care of things here. Get a move on, Princess."

Though outnumbered, the Knightmares were superior to the Britannians in the battle field. Apart from the armor piercing rounds, the seeker missiles and the brutal shock-melee weapons, the Hyperion was made even more devastating were the Radiant Wave Pulse Cannon attached to both its arms. These allowed them to fire Concentrated Radiant Wave Energy at long range that explodes on impact at a medium area of effect. These weapons allowed the Hyperion Knightmares to dominate the battlefield though more started joining the fray.

With all that attention put on their Knightmares, an opening for Cornelia and her troops allowed them to break through and move forward.

"Milady!" Guilford cried. "Team 2 is out of commission and the enemy troops in their position are coming this way."

"What of the hostages?" Cornelia asked urgently. "Where are Robert, Stephen and Cain?"

"Over there!" Villetta pointed out.

A few meters ahead, Cornelia saw a group taking cover behind an overturned float that carried the hostages. She couldn't see which group it was but she saw that they have armed themselves with the weapons taken from the dead Guards and were fighting the Imperial soldiers off. As for the other float, she did not know but that would have to wait. She had to act fast since the former were pinned down.

"Guilford, take your men and cover our left flank." Cornelia commanded. "The rest, with me. Go!"

Guilford and his men obeyed and separated from the main group. Cornelia and the rest moved in and took out the Royal Guards encircling the hostages. The others stayed behind and covered their rear while Cornelia and Villetta met up with them.

"Princess Cornelia?" Tohdoh said in disbelief. "You were the last person I expected who would come to our rescue."

"Your highness." Gino bowed.

"Now's not the time and the place for that, Gino." Kallen cried before shooting off a few rounds at the Royal Guards. "We can all practice our curtsies later."

"It can wait Gino." Cornelia said. She then turned to her soldier, Cain. "Report."

"We only managed to free up this group of the hostages." Cain reported. "As for the other group, I do not know. The Emperor has fled the area in one of his shuttles."

"I have no doubt that the hostages were in those too." Cornelia said.

"Yes, ma'am." Cain saluted.

"Ohgi…" Villetta whispered. Her eyes were scanning the skies.

"Also," Cain continued. "Stephen and Robert didn't make it."

Cain pointed to the two bloodied corpses on top of the float.

"They exposed themselves to cover us as we got down." Li Xingke said. "They were brave men."

"They are." Cornelia agreed. "And what of Zero?"

"I do not know, Milady." Cain replied. "I didn't see him in the entire fight."

"Alright then." Cornelia turned to Villetta. "Contact HQ. We are getting out of here. Tell all Teams to fall back to the safe house."


	3. Britannia on the Brink

Thick pillars of black smoke rose high that covered the red noon sky with its dark embrace. Embers took to the skies in great numbers like a swarm of fireflies. Streets echoed with gunfire and explosions. The scent of gunpowder and iron littered the ruins. Buildings crumbled down ruin and covered the streets with clouds of dust.

Not even the Royal Palace was spared from the damaged. It had taken the brunt of the earlier barrages. Nearly all the towers were toppled over, the structures were in ruins, and the grounds were torn asunder with craters on its wake. No doubt that it was a prioritized target. Lelouch found it fortunate that he wasn't in the Palace during the barrage. His chances of surviving were slim even if he was ever inside the Palace's bunker underground.

Lelouch was informed, after a very stylized welcoming committee, that though the Palace did suffer some damage in its surroundings, it still remained fully operational as a whole. But despite the irrefutable damage the Palace sustained, still it stood as a testament to the burning city that it was still alive. That it still had power.

"Your Majesty" An aid bowed to Emperor Lelouch. "We have prepared the War Room and have gathered the officers. We now await you for the debriefing."

"Good," Lelouch replied. "We will be there immediately. Lead the way. Lord Gottwald, with me."

"Yes, My Emperor." Gottwald bowed and followed behind him.

The Palace docks were wrecked and were in disarray. Floors were cracked, a number of docks had fallen to ruin and buried some of the planes beneath it and rubble block part of the corridors. It was a noisy racket as other shuttles came in docking and disembarking supplies and wounded soldiers before quickly leaving for other sorties. Planes and Knightmares were deployed to fight in certain sectors of the city.

Lelouch did not bother himself with these affairs. He had military officers and consultants to handle those for now since something else was seething in his mind. He racked his brains and raced through different explanations, responses and strategies to understand the scope of the entire situation. He had to act soon before things go out of hand and out of proportion. But all this thinking was not focused on the rebellion occurring in the city but to a much grander plot.

 _The Zero Requiem._ Lelouch pondered. _Why of all days would they attack on the day the Zero Requiem was meant to come to full fruition? Did they perhaps know about it? Did the information somehow leaked?_

 _No. Impossible. Susaku C2 and I planned this ourselves right from the beginning. They wouldn't back off now. Jeremiah and Sayako are far too loyal. That leaves Lloyd, Cecile and Nina. They only knew part of it but that alone wouldn't have been enough information. No. Not even Nina. She helped me get this far. She knew what we were all getting into._

 _But how then? This is whole thing is no mere coincidence. That is for sure. Someone is responsible for all of this. I have no shortage of enemies that is for sure. But the question is, who? And from where?_

 _Cornelia seems to be the only possible candidate right now. She is the type who'd sacrifice everything for victory and she'd have every reason to want my head on a spit. But somehow I have a feeling that this is not her doing. That someone else is pulling the strings on this one._

Lelouch, in all his intellect and cunning, did not hide the fact that he was a sore loser when things do not get in his way. The riots and the bombings had caught him completely off guard and it infuriated him greatly. He could barely contain himself from lashing out in front of his own men in his fury. Only thing he could do now was to strategize his next move and try salvaging what he could out of it.

The Zero Requiem was meant to be the endgame. The final move before he checkmated the board. With all that said, it never came to him to prepare any countermeasures. Why would he? With the weapons and the sheer might of the Holy Britannian army, any petty plot no matter how grand would only be a nuisance against an empire that shrouds the entire world and be squashed.

However, Lelouch had never taken to account a possibility for an assassination attempt. It all made some sense. No deterrent, no fear or sense could have held sway against a man in the brink of desperation, a desperate player gambling everything to one last move. The riots were only a means to cover their own tracks.

The thought had set Lelouch's mind a little bit at ease. The conspirators had failed, he was still alive and his Zero Requiem had only been delayed. Though it frustrated him, it was not a great loss and with the power he had, it would only be a matter of time before things would all fall into place, and the schemers for this attack would be found and will be duly punished. But first, he made it his task to quell this little insurrection.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Return the prisoners back to their cells." A Captain ordered the Guards overseeing the prisoners. "We shall deal with them later till his Majesty says otherwise."

"Yes, sir!" The soldiers saluted and waited for the shuttle to secure itself in the dock.

Once the doors opened, the Guards began pulling the 6 prisoners off of the shuttles and began escorting them out of the room. Tamaki, one of the captured Black Knight leaders, tried wrestling his way out of the hands off one of the guards, hitting and cursing while doing so. The guards responded it kind by brutally knocking him down with the butts of their guns.

The other prisoners tried to help but were halted by the guards with guns pointed at them. Tamaki soon fell limp and bleeding but still alive, only unconscious. The other prisoners were forced at gunpoint to carry him with them back to the cellblocks.

"Brother!" Nunnally called out to Lelouch when she saw him in the docks. She wept and called in a pleading tone. "Brother! Please!"

Being crippled at such a young age, the little princess had to be carried in the arms by her older half-brother Schneizel. She wept heavily after Lelouch as she saw him walk past. She begged for Lelouch to hear her out and to beg for him to stop all this madness. All she received from him was a deaf ear and an indifferent gesture, like she was nothing more than a fly buzzing in front of his face.

"There, there Nunnally." Schneizel gently patted her head. "Now is not the time for tears. You must be strong now. For you and Lelouch both. We will get through this. I promise you that."

"I-I'll try, Schneizel."

Anya, who stood in the background amidst all of the drama, absentmindedly took notice of the little princess's tears. She tore off a piece of cloth from her sleeve and passed it to the damp eyed Nunnally.

"Here."

"Thank you." Nunnally though surprised, accepted it in kind and gave her small smile.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Have they located the rest of the prisoners, yet?" Lelouch asked Gottwald as they walked down the corridors. "Or of Cornelia and her ilk?"

"None as of yet, my Liege." Gottwald replied. "They have disappeared amidst the conundrum. Forgive my bluntness, but we are in no position to locate anyone in this state."

"Very well." Lelouch waved an impatient hand. "They can wait. There are bigger things that require our attention."

"Very good, my Emperor." Gottwald replied.

A group of armed guards saluted to Lelouch and his company when they approached before opened the doors behind them. The corridor that followed led them into the Palace's War Room.

The War Room was a large square chamber surrounded by rows upon rows of desks with computers. Desk jockeys had their eyes glued to the screens and typed away as though their lives depended on it. Workers ran to and fro, carrying with them notes, information, updates and news from the outside world. Things in the chamber were as messy as the things happening outside as radio broadcasts were informing them of what was happening.

" _Rebels are coming at us from everywhere! We need backup, now!_ "

" _Are we the only ones left here? Can anyone here—"_

" _Fall back! Fall back to base!_ Explosion _We can't hold them here!"_

" _We have heavy losses but we're holding steady. But I don't know for how long. Come quick."_

" _This is it! We shall hold them here! For King and Countr- Static"_

After a short march down the staircase and past the sea of desks, was a large round table set in the middle of the chamber were a number of officers, aides and colorful nobles sat in order. As most men of uniform and men would do when plugged in the same room, they argued between themselves over various matters.

They exchanged back and forth over what the best course of action was and not making any decisions of organization. All the while the war continued erupting outside.

 _Nobles._ The Emperor thought with visible annoyance.

Lelouch needed to do something before things got out of hand and save the city from the hands of these incompetent nobles. The moment he entered the scene, the officers, aides and everyone else in the room stopped at what they were doing and rose up in salute.

"Hail, Your Majesty."

"At ease my Lords." Lelouch replied. "Please be seated and begin debriefing. We have no time to waste. What is the current situation?"

"Your Majesty." Highlord Manfred Montgomery stood. "The situation is indeed dire. "The bombings have greatly weakened of our military strength and presence in the city. It made us vulnerable to the riots occurring in the ghettos and cities all over the country. And these are not from the Japanese population alone."

"Our forces are slowly being pushed back to the Tokyo settlement." Major Edric Lawrence reported. "We had abandoned the ghettos to the rebels and entrenched ourselves along the various city lines where it is better to defend. Other divisions however are trapped in pockets with little means of breaking through. A token force of Knightmares was being sent to relieve our forces in Taito and work down the river to Minato."

"Other offensives are being committed to link up with our other trapped forces along Shibuya and Adachi." Highlord Montgomery. "We still have a sizable army but the bombings have crippled communications, routs and disabled most of our armored divisions. Our casualties are also slowly mounting as this goes on."

"The refugees from other districts are also continuously coming in." Lord Brigadier Astley said. "Some come from as far as Sagamihara and Ikebukuro and our security in checkpoints are having a hard time deciphering refugees from terrorists."

"I say execute the lot of those Elevens and be done with it." Lord Ashford stated. "It will save us the trouble and the time sorting out the good from the bad."

"And what of the Britannian civilians seething in their ranks, Ruben?" Lord Brigadier Astley countered furiously. "Are we to let race judge their innocence and let the latter waltz through our lines and cause havoc at our backs?"

"If it means saving our Empire I would kill all of them right down to the last woman and child!" Lord Ashford stood from his seat. "Britannia. Will. Prevail."

"Enough!" Lelouch raised his voice and silenced the two lords. "There are more pressing matters to attend to! If you aren't going to participate in helping quell the situation, then I will have you fight in the front lines. The country is having a hard enough time without you as it is."

"Your Majesty." Highlord Montgomery replied, with slight uneasiness. "Things are a lot worse than we had anticipated."

The War Room had a series of large television screens in the front corner of the room. The smaller ones in the corner displayed news reels and scenes of destruction caused by the riots. Cities were shown on fire, corpses strewn in the ground, shootouts and explosions in the alleys, refugees escaping, people marching on the streets with guns and banners, and effigies of Lelouch being taken down and burned.

As atrocious as the scenes presented were, what really shocked Lelouch was where these events were taking place. The scene with the burning cities had the Eiffel Tower in the background. The corpses in the other scene were visibly Arabs with turbans. The scene of the shootouts was set in the cobblestone streets of Italy. The Great Wall was visible in the scene of the refugees. The scene with the protesters had their words written in the Slavic language. And so on.

To the horror of Lelouch and to the visible dismay of the generals, the entire world had risen up against them in rebellion. The entire world had gone entirely mad. Everything was in chaos.

The larger screens in the chamber showed maps of each continent. The largest screen in the center presented a map of the world as a whole. Cities in every notable nation, in every continent were marked in red dots. Blinking erratically and like a plague, it appeared all over the map and was slowly consuming the territories held by the Britannians.

"We find ourselves in a war, your Highness." Highlord Montgomery said. "A World War."

The grey bearded man paused for a moment to allow the young Emperor to digest the stunning information. He saw that the Emperor was distressed to the point that he had fallen heavily back to his seat and was silent.

"It began with the same rockets that struck us today." The Highlord continued after he saw that the Emperor had renewed his composure. "Along with every other city of worth all over the world. They wiped out our bases, struck harbors and airfields, supplies were blocked and communications were damaged. All of this was a textbook operation."

"The rebels acted fast and our forces have been pressed hard these past few ours from all fronts." Lord Brigadier Astley pointed at the map with his riding crop. "Though they lack armor support and coordination, they have managed to overrun our scattered forces. As of now, we are stretched thin with pockets of resistance trapped deep behind enemy lines. The fiercest of these revolts are in Central Asia, the Arab Nations, North Africa and parts of Eastern Europe."

"The same could be said to some parts of the Homelands I am afraid, my Liege." Major Lawrence added. "Disgruntled nobles holding on to a dying age."

"Indeed." Lord Brigadier Astley nodded. "Most of these are led by traitorous aristocrats. A shame that they still call themselves Britannians. They betray us and cause havoc among our beleaguered forces and further limits our movements."

"Best we could do now, your Highness." Major Lawrence said. "Is to entrench ourselves with what territory we could hold to wait out the storm. Let them exhaust themselves before we could make any counterattacks. It would be the most effective solution."

"An possible plan but a cowardly plan, nonetheless." Lord Ashford spoke out. "It is a plan that is being contested right now, Your Majesty. A plan that I do not agree. I say we strike out with what we have and destroy the rebels amidst the chaos. Though many, the rebels are disorganized. Sooner than most, they will begin fighting each other. If we were to make a dedicated offensive, they will crumble at our feet. The world will see us as liberators and everything else will fall in line. That is what the nobles and I agree on."

"You shortsighted fool!" Lord Brigadier Astley threw his riding crop at Ashford and the nobles. "Don't underestimate the power of a dedicated enemy. Such actions would lead to further needless losses and would cause the destruction of our Empire! Leave the military decisions to the ones who have actually seen war, you silver spooned relic!"

"How dare you!" Lord Ashley bawled. "You forget yourself, grunt! You will not speak to a man of noble birth."

"The Emperor has abolished the aristocracy, gramps." Major Lawrence said. "Your titles are as worthless as the shit coming out of your mouth."

"Highlord? Your thoughts." Lelouch turned to HighLord Montgomery. He had grown tired of listening to these useless arguments.

"Our options are limited, my Emperor." The Highlord replied. "Any transfer of troops from available cities would stretch us thin and leave ourselves exposed to further uprisings. The outcome of any attack along with its casualties would have us vulnerable to any counter attacks. That would have us lose more ground as before. Negotiations though possible, would be out of the question too. The risks are high, Your Highness on any decision."

"So you are saying that our soldiers in the front are on their own?" Major Lawrence said in frustration. "Is there anything we can do?"

"As I said before, our options are extremely limited." Highlord Montgomery heavily sighed.

The officers in the chamber fell silent and fell heavily on their seats. Despair crept up their spines. Never had they imagined that their generation would witness the fall of their great empire in one blow. Everything that they had worked for would come crumbling down in front of them.

The Holy Britannian Empire and the ULN was fighting on its last legs and its generals had lost all will to fight. All except for their Emperor who chuckled under his breath before standing above all of them.

"You forget another option we have at our hands, generals." Lelouch calmly said. "We still have the Damocles."

The Sky Fortress Damocles, the invincible battle station that flew above the surface of the planet. The generals' visible hesitation on using the weapon was due to the Damocles' ultimate weapon, the F.L.E.I.J.A. warheads. The devastation from a F.L.E.I.J.A. could literally wipe out a country off the map. It was a fearful weapon that even the Britannians feared to posses.

"Why do you hesitate, my lords?" Lelouch asked. "The Damocles was built to keep the world at peace and to destroy all those that dare disrupt that peace. Aren't we just fulfilling its purpose?"

"As true as your words are, my Liege." Major Lawrence said. "Apart from the obvious moral standard that perhaps a few nobles here share, the destruction it brings would leave us with nothing to reclaim. We would lose more than we could gain."

"No, Major." Highlord Montgomery retorted. "Only our enemies. The desolation that comes after is an acceptable loss. What can we do?"

"But sir—"

Lord Gottwald intervened and looked at the young Major with a cold eye. "Are you questioning his Royal Majesty's decision?"

"His Majesty has yet to make any decision. Or did I miss something, Lord Gottwald?" Major Lawrence spoke back undeterred. As compared to the other lords present in the War Room, a man like Gottwald did not intimidate him. "I am simply reminding everyone in this room, and the Emperor with all due respect, is that people hate us more than it is and by using the F.L.E.I.J.A.s, they would end up destroying us."

"No, Sir Lawrence." Emperor Lelouch said. "The world will only destroy me."

"W-what do you mean, your Highness?" Major Lawrence asked in confusion.

"The burden that comes with using the Damocles shall fall on my shoulders alone." The Emperor spoke to the other lords as though it was one of his proclamations. "It is the Emperor's duty to commit acts that others cannot do. Those who kill must be prepared to kill. If that will be the cost of preserving our Empire then it is the price I am willing to accept. We shall show our enemies the steep price of rebellion and our might. We shall wash the world anew and from the ashes, victory will be hours and the Holy Britannia alone will remain supreme! For a 1000 years!"

"Yes, my Emperor!" The Generals and the Nobles hailed in reply.

"Lord Gottwald," Lelouch commanded. "Bring me the Command Key."

"Yes, my Liege." Lord Gottwald saluted and left the chambers with a number of Royal Guards.

Lelouch then turned to the Highlord and the other generals. "Now then generals, my Lords, where shall we strike first?"

XXXXXXXXXX

The War Room's large double doors soon opened and paved way for Lord Jeremiah Gottwald to enter. Flanked by a number of Royal Guards, Jeremiah carried an ornate white chest highlighted in gold under his hands. All hectic activities had ceased inside the War Room as everybody watched the small procession make its way to the center of the room.

Lord Gottwald kneeled in front of the Emperor and presented to him the chest. The Emperor stood tall and reached into his coat. He took out a golden key and inserted it into the chest's lock. With intricate mechanisms, the box opened and presented the Emperor with an elaborate scepter, The Damocles Key.

Emperor Lelouch took it and slowly carried it for all to see. He held it carefully with both hands and irked at the very sight of it. He had never expected to dirty his hands again with the blood of man with this weapon in such a short time. He felt the power emanating from it to be greater than him to the point that his hands felt numb and almost dropped the Key, but he stayed strong. The world needed him more than ever.

After a moment of silence and thought, Lelouch turned and pointed the scepter to the screens showing the world in chaos. The world at war. With a press of a button on the scepter, the Damocles launched the F.L.E.I.J.A.s onto the world. Cities, nations and countries were bathed with bright light.

The television screens showed a bright purple light consuming cities, countries and people one after the other before turning to static. The red dots soon ceased their beeping and disappeared from the face of the maps. The generals and the nobles applauded. The workers cheered. Some looked in indifference and shock.

Lelouch on the other hand, watched his handiwork with cold and indifferent eyes. All the while a small tear crawled down his cheek.


	4. World at War

CENTRAL AFRICA

A tribal boy, Nakku, ran across the endless fields of golden wheat. Grains and dust were kicked off into the wind after every brush. Stalks were crunched under weight of his heel at every step. Sweat shot out like bullets from his brow. Hot air was forced into his lungs as he wheezed every breath out after every step. Not far behind him, running like the devil in the wind, was a full-grown lion with bared claws and glowing red eyes.

The tribe's tradition for a coming of age ceremony requires the youth to hunt down a beast, namely a lion, using only spears. In his pride, the young Nakku ran ahead of the group to hunt down the beast himself and ended up facing the colossal beast alone. In his arrogance he did not take into account the consequences of his actions.

Nakku did not expect the beast to take notice of him. And in panic, never did he expect his spear to miss. Never did he feel a cold chill crawl up his spine and send him running away. Never did he expect that his foolishness would cost him his life as the beast gave chase. Nakku had never run so fast his entire life and what a short life it will be once the lion sinks its claws on him.

A loose patch of dirt betrayed his step and sent Nakku into tumbling down the ground. Nakku panted heavily and crawled in fours to vainly trying to get away but the lion was already right on top of him. All the strength in his body disappeared, as he lay stunned in the dirt in front of a raging beast.

The lion had its eyes glaring down at the young tribesman. The vulgar stench emanated from behind its pearly white fangs. Its stomach rumbled a storm as it prepared for its well-deserved meal from this sweating, exhausted, fear stricken black child. But before it could sink its teeth at its well-deserved meal, something in the horizon caught its attention.

Powerful winds blew hard coming from the East. Grains of wheat and rough clots of dirt were stirred by a storm. Large flocks of birds panicked and fled, their ear-piercing cries and fury of wings polluted the skies until it slowly died away. By the wind had ceased, Nakku saw that the lion had vanished without a trace. The skies were completely empty. Not a single cloud was seen on sight.

But what truly caught his attention was the light emanating in the horizon. It was a shifting purple orb that was as shined brighter than a star. Nakku pondered whether it was a gift from heaven since it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He wondered if it was a sign from his gods. He wondered if perhaps it was all a vision for what was to come and what was to be interpreted. But whatever it meant, Nakku took it as a sign for a new path.

With all that said and done, Nakku quietly stood from the rough patched dirt and went home as a wiser man. While he was making his way home, the faint sound of rumbling was coming from the sky. Looking above him, Nakku saw the largest birds he has ever seen in great numbers flying towards the horizon.

XXXXXXXXXX

BEIJING, CHINA

The first thing that Xin saw when he awoke was the foggy image of a familiar face.

"Nice to have you back with us, Xin." Cho said cheerfully.

"What's so nice about it?" Xin groaned. A flash of pain crumpled on the side of his stomach.

"You are still alive, yes?" Cho patted the lad on the back. "You took a real beating but the shrapnel didn't hit anything important."

"I can still fight?" Xin asked. He moved his arms about to test it.

He reached out to grab his rifle on his bedside table. Cho however took it before Xin could get his hands on it.

"Yes but no, Xin." Cho said gravely. "You are too young to waste yourself away that soon. But if you'd like, we have alcohol to get you started. At least that won't kill you for another decade as compared to the other ones here. Now look around and tell me that I am wrong. That you are not a fortunate one."

Xin looked around and saw that the man's words proved true. He was indeed one of the lucky ones. The others with him were dirty, bleeding, wounded with missing limbs, unconscious, dead and dying. They were no closer from waking up again to simply getting up from their beds.

They were not even in the comforts of a proper hospital, let alone on a proper bed. Instead, they were in a murky and dim lit basement with little to no windows. The beds the patients were on were just dirty mattresses or ripped blankets and there were not enough for everyone. Groups of people were even bunched up together on one futon.

"Now I want you to stay here and rest for the time being. That or until someone needs the bed more than you." Cho continued. His grave tone turned calmer and subtler. "There are enough boys out there fighting for us, child. They would still do well with one less. Now rest. We'll might need your strength soon enough. For what might come later."

"We may not need it!" Liu gleefully called from the staircase. "The Britannian swine are on the retreat. HQ is asking for more men. We are winning, comrades! Victory is near!"

"Let's go then! Death to Britannia!" The soldiers cheered. The sound of heavy boots came thundering above their heads.

"I've got to go too." Cho hurriedly said. "I'll look into you later."

Mr. Cho, the self-acclaimed medic of these parts was not even a licensed doctor, but the neighborhood vet. The doctors of the city were too occupied, unavailable, or executed for associating themselves to rebels. Mr. Cho managed to scrounge up a makeshift clinic for the wounded. Civilians and rebel fighters alike.

"Knock them dead." Xin said. "And good luck…uncle."

"Yeah." Cho smiled back. "My sister will kill me if anything were to happen to you, child."

Xin watched the soldiers with envy as they left the basement and into battle. He didn't like being left alone with the sick and wounded while the others were fighting the Britannians without him. Never had he felt so useless his entire life. This was supposed to be his moment, his chance if glory.

The thought did little to break the young man's spirit. Xin may not be able to fight in the final battle, but he will not forgive himself if he was going to miss it. The sounds of gunfire were heard from the distance. Thunderous explosions from outside were shaking the dust from the ceiling. It was a sight that he will not ignore.

Rolling out from his bed, Xin crawled towards the small window on top of the wall. He looked through the small opening and witnessed the fierce battle at hand. The night sky was brimming with activity. Projectiles were falling like stars, fighters were buzzing the heavens like insects and explosions lit the dark like a New Year. It was a beautiful sight for the young lad.

Xin's awe immediately turned to horror when something caused the sky to turn purple in bright light that consumed everything in its path. With a flash, everything around Xin turned black. A powerful wind followed and threw him across the room. The last thing he heard was the sound of the ceiling falling above their heads and the piercing sounds of people screaming.

"Uncle…" Xin mumbled in the dark before falling unconscious.

XXXXXXXXXX

NEW YORK CITY, THE HOMELANDS

Atop a tall spire overlooking the city, a tall, beautiful young woman stood alone in front of a clear glass paned window. A glass of clear red wine was held between her fingers as she watched the vivid scenes unfurling outside with a bored expression. She watched indifferently as her entire city fell into chaos right before her eyes.

Blazing fires lit the night skies in macabre red added with projectiles that fell like stars. People crawled out from the ruin, running in panic down in the labyrinth of streets. Pillars of smoke blanketed the alleyways and corners as though hell itself found its way in the city. But none of it could compare to the noise. It was fortunate that she was so high up in her spire but even then it still find its way from way up there.

Lady Elizabeth Carstein was dressed up elaborately well for the occasion. She wore an elaborate crimson dress that matched her fiery red hair. Lavish jewelry and pendants of black were embroidered on her to complete the outfit.

As a woman of higher class and of higher birth, she ought to dress up nicely for all occasions. That includes occasions such as this. Even if she was to witness the fall of their great Empire, the young Lady Carstein must always be in her best.

That is, as what her father had said. She had always considered her father close to the line of old fashioned. Him and the rest of her family. All they cared for was holding on to dying traditions. Even as the city burns to the ground and eat each other for scraps, he and the rest of the family and friends were having a party out of it.

She could still hear them across in the other room. Plates were being shattered. Piercing laughter emanating in the halls. Enjoying themselves in an orgy of wine and debauchery. In their stupor, they even forget that their entire world was burning asunder.

Some were crying. Most of them were cursing. Cursing about their unfulfilled lives, a woman or a man they have never called to love. Cursing at what the young Emperor Lelouch had done to them. Namely, dissolving the aristocracy, ruining all of their goals, ambitions, all that they had worked for their entire life, as well as destroying a legacy of titles, names and lineages a 100 years in the making.

The loudmouthed festivities continued on until a series of thunderous blasts ceased the merrymaking to a sudden halt. The lights in the halls turn off one after the other and the only sound heard amidst the silence was the faint noise of explosions from outside.

"I guess the party's over." Elizabeth drank down the rest of her wine and dropped it in the floor before walking back to the dining room with the rest.

There were no servants to open the doors for her this time but she had no trouble doing it for herself. Not for this moment. There were no family members or friends to welcome her in festivity. There was only dead silence in their wake.

Discharged pistols were still had smoke coming out from their barrels. Corpses of her family were scattered around her. Lying on the table, leaning from their seats, curled up on the floor; all were dead. Each had a bullet on the head and their brains scattered on the walls and blood flowed on the floor behind them.

Men, women, and children, all were dead at her feet. She was the only living person left in the room. She was the only living person left in the entire building. Lady Elizabeth Carstein was the last living Carstein. The last of her kind.

"You have always taught us to end the party with a bang, father." Elizabeth said to the corpse. "But I think that this is taking the step a little bit too far. People have always called you a great man. You were a visionary who benefitted the lives of many and ruled this great city."

"But whose lives have you benefitted?" Elizabeth seated herself at the table in front of the corpse. "And how did you rule this city? How did you _rule_ this family?"

The corpse obviously said nothing in reply. The last of its breath had left it quite a while ago and just as they say, dead men tell no tales. Elizabeth laughed out loud.

"Ha! Even as you lie dead and rotting, you still haven't changed." Elizabeth said. "You're still the indifferent father who raised us. Carmilla and Vlad may have fallen for your bullshit but it wont for me."

Elizabeth looked at the two people across her on the table. A young woman had blood trickling down her lips. Next to her was a young man with a crater in his head.

"I know that you never liked me, father. That was something that was plainly obvious." Elizabeth said. "You didn't like me because you could never control me. Not like these two. What a waste of a young life. Even if they were stupid ones."

Elizabeth took the gun in front of her father's corpse. She took out the magazine and checked for its bullets before reloading it back to the gun.

"You could have done so more than this, father." Elizabeth held the gun lazily in front of her father. "There were other solutions to this problem we are having right now. There is always another way. Instead, you chose this way. The coward's way out. Now alas I understand just what kind of person you are. You are and will always have been a coward. And you were afraid of what I am to become in the future."

"I have to hand it though for the Emperor." Elizabeth spun the gun with her hand. "He may be a bastard but he's a bastard who got me what I always wanted. With all this, it opens a door to opportunity and a chance for me to make some big changes for this family. It also got you out of the way."

Elizabeth stood up and walked courteously to the door.

"This is the best present you've ever gotten for me, daddy." Elizabeth said to the corpse. "This is the best birthday you've ever given me with an acceptable gift, even if you will remember it or not. Now watch me make a name for myself in this new world."

The Lady Carstein entered the elevator chambers and made her way down the spire. If it were another day, the view would have shown her the colorful bright lights of the evening. Instead, she was given the same view as she had seen on from atop her home but now the smell of smoke and carnage were more prominent. She felt a pang of sadness to watch her city so up close

While her elevator continued its descent, something caught her eye in the horizon. A bright comet appears to have materialized from the clouds and was quickly bearing down towards the city. It only took a second for Elizabeth to shockingly realize what that was.

"THEY WOULDN'T!" Elizabeth exclaimed in disbelief. She quickly pressed the emergency break of the elevator and jumped out of it the moment the doors had opened.

Thankfully she managed to make it to the lower floors of the spire but she did not stop there. She ran as fast as she could to the basement doors and kept running down the flight of stairs without stopping.

It wasn't long before Elizabeth heard an earsplitting explosion. The thunderous roars as buildings collapsed and shook the earth. She could see the walls crack up and pieces of rubble rained down atop of her head. The ceiling above her collapsed and fell onto the stairwell, right on top of her. A sharp sting of pain erupted on her side before everything caved in around her and everything turned black.

Elizabeth never knew how long she was trapped under the rubble. Nor did she ever figure out how she managed to survive being impaled by a metal spike below her stomach. The only thing she knew and was glad for was that she was found not long after.

"Thermal's picked someone up down here!" One of the workers exclaimed and carefully moved passed the rubble. "My god, milady Carstein."

The man quickly turned to the others. "Get me a medical capsule. Quickly. Now!"

"Don't worry, milady." He said to her. His dirty hands held hers. "You'll be alright now. You'll be safe."

XXXXXXXXXX

GAZA, PALESTINE

"No. This is just a nightmare. I will wake up now." Omar wept. He banged his head on the railings of the boat. "Wake me up. Wake me up! PLEASE! I…will not believe that this is happening."

"No." Hama muttered as he cried. "How could they…"

Though tears also trickled down his cheeks, Rami alone stood tall and silently on top of the rocking boat as he looked onto the shore that was miles away.

Only a moment ago the city was at war. Worse than a battles that the city had faced in decades. A second was all it took for a bright ball of light to silence all the noise, only to leave nothing behind in its wake. Only darkness. He watched his entire city, his home, disappear right before his very eyes. And all it took was a moment.

"It is my fault." Omar cried. "All this is my fault."

"You saved us, Omar." Hama tried comforting his lethargic friend. "We-we would have been killed if not for you. "

"I-we should never have left." Omar cried. "I should have stayed! With my family. With Ester. Now they are dead."

"Rami." Hama pleaded. "Help me with him please."

Rami did not stir. His eyes still gazed at the empty plane that was what was all that was left of Gaza. He furiously clenched his fists and fumed under his breath.

"Omar, please. I share your pain." Hama said. "But please, control your self."

"Allah, forgive me. Woe we, the useless cowards." Omar cried. "We could have waited. We abandoned everyone."

"They did not want to join us anyway." Hama loudly retorted. "All they cared about was praying to their deaf god. All this is of their own volition. They have reaped what they have sowed."

"Shut up!" Omar shouted. "Faith or no, how can you be so inhumane? How can you be so goddamn heartless?"

Hama punched Omar in the face and sent him tumbling down the deck. Hama followed by pinning him by the railings and pointing a gun at his head.

"Being heartless is what had gotten us this far, or have you forgotten?" Hama threatened. "I killed people to get this far and we've done a lot of terrible shit just so we could get on this boat. We made our choice and they made theirs now own up to it. I lost people I care about too so don't—"

Hama was cut off when Omar spat in his face. Hama fumed and struck his friend to the ground. He then cocked the gun at a ready and prepared to pull the trigger only for Rami to intervene. He grabbed the gun from his Hama and kicked him to the side.

"Nice for you to finally join us, Rami." Hama said. "You done birdwatching?"

"You done acting like a bitch?" Rami coldly retorted. He then turned his gaze back to the ruined city. "Take it as a sign my friends. We are alive now against all odds. Call it luck, but I call it destiny."

"Like we are meant to do something?" Omar asked. "Like we are chosen for something?"

"Yes." Rami confidently replied. "I believe that we still have a part to play with what is still to come."

"And here I thought Omar was the zealot in the gang." Hama snidely remarked. "You're nuts. The both of you."

Before anyone could make any retort or argument, something struck the boat from below sent it's passengers tumbling to the floor as the boat tossed and turned. A large shadow materialized in the water beneath them and sent torrents of bubbles flowing to the surface.

Rami, Omar and Amid found themselves, and their boat, atop a large submarine outfitted with cannons and visible missile pods. The ground from where they stand on rumbled and shook was no doubt from the ship's heavy engines that can make the colossal machine move. Steam vented out from the gaps and covered their surroundings in a gust of hot mist.

By the time the steam had dissipated, the 3 men found themselves surrounded by a group of black clad men in masks armed with guns. They watched the refugees suspiciously and ordered them at gunpoint to enter submarine with them.

"Need I say more, Hama?" Rami said. "Fate has called a little louder now. To what fate, I do not know but believe me, I am glad to have you guys to take this path with me."

XXXXXXXXXX

BERLIN, GERMANY

Amidst the ruin of their majestic capital, fireworks filled the skies and guns were shot in merriment as the citizens of Berlin celebrated their liberation against their most hated enemy, the Britannians. They occupied every street, every house and every rooftop. The flag of the German Union were fluttering on every street corner.

As merry as the moment was for the German people, the same however could not be said for the defeated Britannians. They were pushed around, beaten and humiliated by the German citizens as they were gathered like cattle. Others received a worse fate. The rebels executed nobles, their children and the defeated soldiers, and had their bodies hung by the windows and poles of the streets for all to see.

The mass of crowds followed the battle scarred Knightmares and gathered towards the city's largest and most famous squares, the _Augustusplatz._ There, tens of thousands of people were gathered in festivity and waved their flags about.

Knightmares launched flares in the air in their makeshift parade. Citizens and children rode with the soldiers on top of their tanks. They formed up into ranks in front of the ruined university building where thousands more were waiting for them, citizens and rebels fighters alike.

"HAIL TO THE HERO!"

"HEIL! HEIL!"

"TO THE INVINCIBLE KOMMANDANT!"

"SIEG HEIL! SIEG HEIL!"

The one leading the entire procession enamored the masses. A battle scarred Panzer-Wespe command Knightmare with a missing arm but was anything else but disabled. They praised it as their hero who brought the battle to a swift end through great leadership and sacrifice. The hero they believed will lead them to their destiny and a brighter future.

It's funny that any action, no matter how terrible, could be easily justified by giving it a proper name.

"Citizens of Berlin! Sons and daughters of Germany!" The pilot of the Knightmare spoke. " After incalculable deaths, sacrifices, and countess martyrs, such is the cost of victory! But it was all not in vain for now we can call ourselves, free!"

The masses cheered a deafening roar. The Knightmare raised its maimed hand after a while and the crowd slowly submitted to silence.

"Britannia! Long they have repressed us from the glory that we deserve. Denied us from the greatness that we have built in our great nation. Regressed us all into slaves to their bidding. Grunts for their own false crusades. Fodder for their grinders. But no more! We now fight for ourselves! We fight for Germany… and Germany alone!"

The citizens panicked when the Kommandant commanded the Knightmare to fire at the blue flag of the EU and shot it to pieces. The other Knightmares did the same along with the other soldiers who burned their own flags and waved it about in the air. The citizens were stunned at their Kommandant's actions.

"The EU had failed us. Held us back. Betrayed us. Sold us off to our enemies, the Britannians. They have always held us back from greatness. But no more! Germany shall stand as Germany alone. Now is the time to strike! Now is the time for a new age! A new age for Germany and the beginning of a new REICH!"

The Knightmare opened its cockpit and revealed its pilot as a young woman with short messy blonde hair. Her face was filthy and stained from black oil, and was bleeding from a busted lip but it did not hide the beauty that was her white skin and the fire that burned in her fiery green eyes.

"Now I beseech you. Citizens of this newly re-christened Germany?" The woman asked the masses. "What say you, now? Will you join me in this great crusade?"

The masses needn't be convinced anymore. They all knew the risks and they all knew what they wanted. The entire city was at an uproar as the hundreds of thousands of people in Berlin cheered. They raised their hands as one and in salute for their newfound leader.

"HEIL! HEIL! UNSER FUHRER!"

"KRIEG! KRIEG! FUHREN UNS IN DEN KRIEG!"

"FUHRER, KOMMANDANT HELGA BRONTE!"

"BRONTE! BRONTE! BRONTE!"

"SIEG FUR GERMANY! HEIL BRONTE!"

Beyond the noisy crowds, a group of important looking people stood inside the confines of the ruined university. As happy as they were of the victory, they did not share the same festive mood as the people outside. They remained composed and stuck with their own devices.

"Was this all according to plan?" Gregor asked his colleagues. "Or did she act on her own will again?"

"Yes and no, herr Gregor." Lord Jorhann replied. "It was a considered plan, seeing as the UFN is now defunct and the EU is nothing more than a shadow of its former self. What we didn't expect was our frau Bronte to set the plan in motion so soon."

"I agree." Lady Von Strauss said. She turned to Lord Jorhann. "She has put us in a weak position. We have no army, alienating our allies, and no resources to fund even a single battle. We must put a stop to this before it gets out of hand."

"Do you not hear the clamour outside?" Lord Jorhann pointed at the window. "It is out of our hands and there is no turning back now. These people are the only allies we have now and they will not think twice to hang us with the rest of the Britannians outside if we are to take away the opportunities given to them now."

"We still have one ally we could turn to." Erwin Rothstein said. " _He_ would be of great help in turning the tide in our favor."

"No." Lord Jorhann quickly replied. "We cannot put our lot with _them_. With _him_. He is a dangerous man. Unpredictable. Immoral. Ruthless. An opportunist who would sacrifice everything to meet his own ends."

"Be it as it may." Rothstein countered. "He has proven himself a great leader. Experienced and has a sizable army who has won on countless fronts against the Britannians. All without revealing his existence to the enemy. "

"Including us. He is a man surrounded in myth and legends. An enigma." Gregor answered back. "I am with Lord Jorhan on this one, we know too little of this Omega, a man who hides himself behind a mask. The people deserve a hero with a face, a capable leader who would win us many battles. We have Oberstleutnant Bronte."

"A leader?" Lady Von Strauss said. "More like a puppet. Still, your words prove true. Omega and his ilk might prove useful but it will spell us our end once the smoke clears. We shall win this war on our own. The masses love a good underdog."

"And we shall." Lord Jorhann called for a servant and had him bring them glasses of champagne. He then passed the glass to each of his colleagues. "Underdogs we may be but not for soon. Estates shall be reclaimed, weapons will be acquired, allies will be won over, and victory will be ours."

"To Germany." Lord Jorhann raised his glass in salute.

The others raised their glasses up as well and replied.

"To Germa—"

They were all cut short when the windows unexpectedly shattered and blew them all to the floor. A bright light soon followed and surrounded them to near blindness. They saw their hands lose color and feeling before losing it to ash completely. Complete silence and utter darkness followed afterwards. The entire city of Berlin and all its citizens followed suite into the void. The city was left to cinder. An empty crater with not a pillar left standing.

XXXXXXXXXX

TOKYO SETTLEMENT, JAPAN

The large screen in the War Room showed the F.L.E.I.J.A. Warheads detonating one after another, covering the map like a pox and was slowly spreading to the other capital cities. The noblemen and some of the officers watched in satisfaction as their enemies were wiped off the face of the earth without sacrificing that many men.

The other screens showed the once chaotic scenes of butchery and anarchy turn into utter perpetual silence. It all showed either utterly black or scenes of complete emptiness with not a living being or creature left in sight. Just utter destruction and ruin after a single moment. Such was the devastating power of the F.L.E.I.J.A.

Reports were coming in from the remaining bases near the bombsites. Britannian casualties were moderate and acceptable since communications were hard to break through and due to the hastiness of the order. It was a small price to pay however since the statistics say that the rebels lost ten times that number, a full-scale massacre.

Everyone in the chamber applauded as victory after victory was achieved on many fronts. Everyone cheered and were made merry as Britannia alone reigned supreme from the ashes, everyone except the young Emperor. He simply looked at his handiwork with cold and indifferent eyes.

From the very first city that was struck by the F.L.E.I.J.A. up until the very last, Lelouch remained stoic. Unmoved as millions died after a simple press of a button. With each devastated city, Lelouch felt his heart grow heavier and heavier. He was already having a hard time keeping himself on his feet and was close to crying. Thank god that no one had noticed since they were too drunk at the glory at hand.

"Congratulations, my Emperor." Highlord Montgomery gave a hand out for Lelouch. "Victory is yours."

Lelouch ignored the gesture and turned to the men operating the F.L.E.I.J.A. coordinates,

"What's the status of the Damocles? How many F.L.E.I.J.A.s do we have left?"

"The Damocles is in stable condition, my Emperor." One of the workers replied. "But we have exhausted all of our warheads We have none left."

"That is unfortunate." Lelouch said. "It will take months to restock it with more warheads."

"It matters little now, your Highness." Lord Ashford said. "No one would dare stand against us now. Fear of getting annihilated like these rebels will keep them all under their beds. It is also better to have the Damocles as a figurehead than for someone to use it against us."

Major Lawrence and the some of the officers kept quiet and stuck to their own machinations.

"My work here is done then." Lelouch said. He returned the Damocles Key back in its box, as held by his devoted Lord Gottwald. Turning from the others, he made his way out of the chambers. "Taking back the rest of the empire would now be easier for you, gentlemen. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to."

"Of course, Your Highness." Highlord Montgomery said.

Lelouch barely walked ten steps away when all the screens of the room suddenly turned to loud static. From the screens on the walls to the screens on the worker's computers, all suddenly turned to static. Everyone in the chamber was at an uproar as they tried getting things operational again but to no avail. Even Lelouch was dumbfounded by this sudden turn of events and turned his gaze to the sea of static screens.

The static soon ceased and flickered itself to life. In its place was a crimson banner with a black omega symbol under a winged triangle with a diamond in the middle. In front of it was a most peculiar and intimidating person who stood high with dignity. He had piercing red eyes that looked as though they were staring each and every person in the room. They could feel a cold chill crawl up their spines.

When he spoke, everyone turned their ears and fell silent to listen to his every word as it was as foreboding and menacing as he materialized from the shadows.

" _They call me, Omega."_


End file.
